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Moving Outlook2000 to a new machine...

Chief_Ed

Posted 24 April 2008 - 02:04 PM

Chief_Ed

New Member

Member

5 posts

Hi,
I see that there are several questions similar (but not identical) to the one I have, so I have been advised to ask my question publically:

My surge protector did not do it's job. My power supply and mother board were cooked. I have a new computer on the way but I was wondering if I would be able to recover my Outlook files and structure (including contacts etc) by simply connecting my OLD drive to the new computer as a slave device simply copying the PST file?

Is there anything else I would have to do?

Thanks,
Ed

PS: The new computer will also be Windows XP and I will be installing Office 2000...

Neil Jones

Posted 25 April 2008 - 05:18 AM

Neil Jones

Member 5k

Member

8,476 posts

Even if you don't export it in the first instance, it should still import into the new Outlook on the new machine.
Strange thing about Outlook is that it refuses to do anything with a PST file unless you import it. You can't just dump a PST file in a folder somewhere and have Outlook pick it up and use it (which is the default behaviour for most other email clients) - you have to tell it about the new file otherwise it doesn't want to know.

Chief_Ed

Posted 25 April 2008 - 06:22 AM

sari

Posted 25 April 2008 - 08:19 AM

sari

GeekU Admin

Administrator

20,959 posts

Chief_Ed,

With all due respect to Neil Jones, who is quite knowledgeable about Office and many other things, I beg to differ. If for some reason it won't import, I have in the past been able to copy .pst files directly and have them work. When you set up Outlook on the new PC, it creates a profile and a .pst file. You can then delete or rename that file and copy your old .pst file into the same directory. When Outlook opens, it will automatically look for the .pst file in that location, and it will find the one that you copied. Importing is preferable, as I think it will pick up all your settings more successfully, but this way does work without losing your contacts, etc. If you have any archive.pst files, you'll have to copy or import them as well.